The present invention relates generally to a lid or closure for use in combination with a drinking cup, and particularly to such a lid or closure which permits beverage to be drunk with the lid in place, while at the same time being constructed to resist spillage of the beverage when the cup is tipped or jostled.
Beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and the like are customarily dispensed in styrofoam or paper cups. If the drink is to be carried to another place for consumption, it is usual to supply a lid which can be pressed over the top of the cup and held in place by friction, so that spilling or sloshing of the beverage can be avoided. However, such lids must eventually be removed to permit drinking, and if the container is jostled or tipped over while the lid is off, the contents are spilled.
Numerous attempts have been made to solve the spilling problem by providing lids which remain in place while drinking. Some such lids are provided with a group of small openings through which the liquid may be drunk, the idea being that if the cup is tipped over with such a lid on it, there will be at least a limiting of the amount of liquid spilled. Other lids have been equipped with depressible flaps or tear-out flaps, designed to serve the same purpose. While such lids do provide a certain amount of limitation of the spillage, the presence of holes in the lid nevertheless permits an unacceptable amount of spillage in the event the container should be overturned.
A still further approach to the problem has been to provide the lid with a built-in spout, through which the beverage can be sipped while the lid is still in place. However, in the prior art enbodiments of this approach it has been necessary to furnish the lid with vent holes or slits, to allow air to be taken into the container to compensate for the volume of beverage being withdrawn through the spout. Thus, the vent holes or slits themselves permit spillage of the beverage in the event the cup is tipped or upset.
A further disadvantage of the prior art embodiments has been that many of them are relatively complex in structure, and therefore expensive, and do not lend themselves to mass production methods. Their high cost renders them unsuitable for disposal after a single use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage cup lid which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known closures.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cup lid containing a drinking spout formed in said lid but in such conformation as to eliminate the need for vent holes or slits.
It is a further object to produce an economical, disposable lid which can be produced on a mass basis and which permits drinking of the beverage through the lid while eliminating or effectively limiting the amount of spillage in the event the cup is upset.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds.